Operating pad or receptacle.



- PATBNTED JUNE '14, 1904. c. w. MEINEGKE a 1). HOGAN.

OPERATING PAD 0R RBGEPTAGLB.

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UNITED STATES Patented June 14, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

' OFHOBOKEN, NEW JERSEY, ASS

IGNORS TO MEINECKEAND COMPANY,

-OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEWVJERSEY.

- OPERATING PAD OR VRECEPTACLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 762,737, dated June 14,1904.

\ Application filed April 11, 1903. Serial No. 152,238- (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that we, CHRISTIAN WILLIAM MEINEOKE, residing at Jersey City, and DAN- IEL HOGAN, residing at Hoboken, in the county of Hudson and State of New Jersey, citizens of the United States, have invented new and useful Improvements in Operating Pads or Receptacles, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates toarticles known as operating, surgical, or obstetrical pads, cushions,'receptacles, bed-pans, or the like; and the invention resides in certain features of construction set forth in the following specifica- 5 tion and claims, and illustrated in the annexed drawings, in whichv Figure 1 is a perspective View of a pad with an outlet. Fig. 2 shows a modified form of pad with the outlet or sleeve end held up for the purpose of closure.

without an outlet to form a receptacle or bedpan. Fig. 4 shows a .modification.- Fig. 5 is a section along it 00, Fig. 1. Fig. 6 is a section alongy y, Fig. 1. Fig. 7 is a view like 5 Fig. 6-, the cushion being deflated. Fig. 8

shows a modification.

In the drawings is shown a pad or the like comprising a bottom a and a cushion or rim 6, extended about the bottom. Thecushion 3 shown is of the inflatable kind with nipple d;

but of course any suitable cushion is included in the invention.

The cushion is shown provided with a hinge. When deflated or flattened, thishinge allows the entire device to be flattened or brought into small compass. When the cushion is inflated, the hinge straightens out or opens as the cushion fills or bulges. When deflated, the device collapses into flat shape without 4 wrinkles.

In Fig. 7 the hinge is shown applied or formed at the inside of the cushion. This inner wall rising abruptly from the bottom when the device is inflated avoids any recess or reentering angle at the junction of the bottom with the cushion. The entire interior of the device is thus visible and accessible for inspection and cleaning and can be cleaned Without deflating.

Fig. 3 shows a pad.

The cushion is attached to the bottom in suitable manner. A hinge connection with the bottom has been practically made as follows:

The bottom a was formed or cut of such size and shape as to form an edge portion a, Fig. 7. To this portion a is secured or cemented a strip Z). Upper and lower cushion portions are shown at b 6 tions are secured or cemented to one another and to said strip 6 and to bottom a. A cushion having a hinge is thus formed. The hinge on the inner wall of this cushion is formed by the bottom edge portion a. and strip 7). As usual in the manufacture of rubber goods, binding-strips or reinforcements can be applied or cemented along the joints, but have not been found necessary.

. A strip it, Fig. 8, for example, helps to secure the bottom more firmly to the cushion.

In showing certain constructions or stating that the above construction has been found practical it is not intended to limit the invention to any special construction nor to any specific material. A device made as above described has, however, been found satisfactory.

Suitable attaching portions or laps 0 can be applied. In using the device under a patient suitable attachments for tyingor securing the device against shifting are useful. Such attaching portions can also serve as handles or hangers for carrying or suspending the article.

A device as just described without an outlet, as seen in Fig. 3, is useful in cases of incontinence or for comparatively small operations, such as in piles or strictures, where no extensive douching is required. After such minor. operations such pad can be. emptied and cleaned.

In more extended operations, however, an outlet e is of service. An outlet in funnel or sleeve shape has been found practical. Such funnel communicating with the pad-bottom and being attached thereto about its entire inlet end or mouth, no leak or escape will occur except through such outlet.

The outlet or sleeve is shown funnel-shaped or taperedand can be readily turned inside out when required, for example, in cleaning.

The upper and lower por- The outlet is shown with an attachment 7, Figs. 1 and 2, which can be buttoned or engaged to a lap or eye 0 or otherwise held up to form a pocket or prevent outflow if a continuous stream is not required, and when no longer in use the device can then be emptied like any other receptacle or bed-pan; but for continuous operation the sleeve or outlet is allowed to hang or empty into a pail or conduit for leading off the flow.

The hinge hereinbefore mentioned can be formed at the inner wall of the cushion or at the outer wall, or both, as seen in Fig. 8, or additional hinges can be provided, if desired, at the bottom or top of the cushion, or instead of single hinges double hinges can be used in case larger cushions in cross-section are desired.

Instead of sleeve-shaped outlet an apron a, as shown in Fig. 4, can be used to lead off the flow. A fastening or safety-pin g can be used to engage the edges of the apron.

The bottom of this pad or cushion rests level or smooth on the bed when the device is in use, so as to firmly support the user and to prevent any strain or pull being brought by the bottom on the cushion.

The cushion can be made of various contours. hen made with an open end or separated shanks, as seen in Fig. L, the rear of the cushion is preferably thickened, so as to cause the shanks to be normally spread or held apart, such thickened part also giving a better rest or support for the small of the back.

The device can also be used as a bed-protector in case of incontinence. The parallelsided form (shown in Fig. 2) without an outlet or with the outlet-sleeve turned inside out and allowed to hang over the side can be used as a bed-protector, since when laid lengthwise across the bed the patient can lie and shift and still remain within the limits of the device, the latter being tied or secured to the bed to prevent shifting because of restlessness of the user. The device can thus be used in place of rubber sheets to protect the bed.

The bottom a can be left flexible or of a single thickness of rubber or suitably stiffened or thickened, if desired, as shown at 71, Fig. 3, which prevents the bottom from sagging, bulging, or wrinkling. Such stiffening applies more particularly to the device or bedpan of Fig. 3, where the user rests on the cushion, while in the case of a pad, as shown in Fig. 1, the user rests or sits inside thecushion on the bottom a.

The devices need not be deflated to be emptied and cleaned, or rather can be more readily cleaned when inflated. The bottom being at the lower part of the cushion gives liberal capacity to prevent spilling or running over.

From the foregoing description it will be evident that the device involves a cushion having a hinge to facilitate collapsing or flattening of the cushion, the hinge in the present instance being upon the'inside of the cushion and between its top and bottom. The cushion is preferably inflatable, and the hinge in question folds inward, so that when said cushion is deflated it will occupy a comparatively small space. In some cases the cushion may be of less cross-sectional area along the hinge or fold-line, thereby to facilitate the collapsing thereof. This particular relation is illustrated in Fig. 8. Naturally the hinge may be of any suitable character, and the cushion may have one hinge or a plurality of them. The said hinges are shown as horizontally disposed, and in the case where one is employed it is represented as being midway of the interior wall of the cushion. The improved pad in addition to the other features hereinbefore expressed includes a bottom and an annular cushion, the bottom having a tubular reversible outlet. In performing major operations the outlet will occupy the position shown in Fig. 1. In other cases it may be reversed and when reversed folded over the forward side of the cushion, so as positively to prevent the escape of matters within the annular cushion 6 and on the bottom a.

What we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. An operating-pad comprising a bottom and a hollow cushion one wall of which has an inwardly-folding hinge throughout its entire extent.

2. An operating-pad comprising a bottom and an inflatable cushion the inner wall of which has an inwardly-folding hinge throughout its entire extent,sai d hinge,when the cushion is deflated, being adapted to fold flat and to stand vertical when the cushion'is inflated.

3. An operating-pad comprising a bottom and an annular cushion, the bottom having a tubular reversible outlet.

4. An operating-pad comprising a cushion having a vertical inner wall, and a bottom socured to the cushion to present together a receptacle, said inner wall being made to leave that portion of the bottom of the cushion comprising the inner side of the receptacle, when the latter is inflated, visible or accessible for cleaning.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHRISTIAN WILLIAM llllllNllCh'll. DANIEL HOGAN.

Vitnesses:

W. C. IIAUFF, CiIAs. 1]. PonNsenN. 

